IN Jesus' temptations in the wilderness, after his fasting forty days and forty nights he became hungry. Mortal thoughts came tempting him, and he read them so perfectly and accurately that they seemed to speak aloud and say, "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Then Jesus said, "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God," meaning that man shall live by means of the thoughts—the angels—that come to him from God. Jesus' answer evidently convinced evil mortal thought that it was without power and he refused to yield to it on this line, and so that enemy was banished. This made Jesus stronger to resist the next temptation. Had he yielded he would have been weakened.
If all would constantly watch and instantly recognize each enemy suggestion as Jesus did, and would always do their work properly, there would be no drunkard on earth, no thief, no evildoer. There would be no criminal if one never committed the first crime. How important, then, it is to watch and see to it that every evil suggestion is destroyed by a clear and firm declaration of the truth. The successful Christian Scientist endeavors to do his work as Jesus did his. He realizes the truth about everything. He firmly protects his thought against the belief that man is material or that matter has anything to do with existence. He endeavors continuously to be governed by the one divine Mind. He perceives how good and beautiful it is to realize and perform the demands of this Mind, which is constantly unfolding good to man.
He strives to follow the example of our dear Master. He resists wrong by knowing the right. He affirms the truth and knows that he lives by the power of Truth. He finally comes to have such a certain knowledge and understanding that he does not always have to resist or deny the evil specifically, but knows the truth, until harmony is accomplished. Yet he remembers that Jesus did deny the power of evil and said, "Get thee hence, Satan," and affirmed the truth, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." The devil then left him. Thus Jesus grew in true firmness and in the understanding of spiritual power as each temptation was met and mastered.
